Improvement in machines for cutting cloth



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WILLIAM RAE-UCHLE,'OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR T0 'HIMSELR GEORGE REX, AND ABRAHAM It. BOCKI'US.

Letters Patent No. 113,927, dated April 18, 1871.

IMPROVEMENT lN MACHINES FOR CUTTING CLOTH, &c.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same;

To all 'whom it may conce/rn Be it known that I, WILLiAM RAEUCHLE, of Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements in Machines for Cutting Cloth, Paper, Leather, 85o., of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawing.

My invention consists of a machine for cutting or slitting cloth, leather', and similar' materials; and

The novelty of the machine consists more especially in a rotary cutter, arranged to revolve at a greater speed than the feeding-wheel ordevice, whereby it is made to operate with a draw-cut, and thus perform the cutting in a superior manner. Y

Figure l is a front side elevation of a machine;

Figure 2 is an end elevation ofthe same;

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the same; and

Figure 4 is a view showing the feed-wheel and the rotary cutter. Y

In the drawing" A represents the bed-plate of my machine, which Y has secured to its upper side near one end a horizontal overreaching arm, B, which extends across above the bed, as shown in figs. l and 3.

In the ii'ont end of arm B is mounted a vertical sliding rod, C, having a spring, a, so applied as to press it downward, and having a presser-foot, l), secured to its lower end for the purpose of holding the fabric down upon the feeding devices, to be hereinafter described.

To the upper end of the I'od C is pivoted a camlever, c, by which the rod may be raised and supported when the fabric is to be inserted or withdrawn.

On the side of arm B two lugs, d, are formed, and a horizontal shaft, D, mounted therein, and provided '-'at its inner end with a thin circular knife or critter',

E, the lower edge of which runs in or through a shallow groove or slit iu the bed-plate, just to one side of the presser-foot.

Io the outer end of shaft D is secured a ily- Wheel, F, driving-pulley G, and a pinion, H, the latter of which gears into a large wheel, I, mounted at one end of the bed A, as shown.

'Io the side of wheel I is secured a small pinion, J, and below the bed A is mounted a horizontal shaft, K, having secured on its outer end a large wheel, L, and a small pinion, M, the former of which gears into the pinion J ailixed to wheel I, as before stated.

Below the bed A, in lugs cast thereon, and a little forward ofthe vertical plane of shaft D, is mounted a horizontal shaft, N, provided on its outer end 'with a wheel, O, which gears into the pinion M.

'Io the inner end of the shaft N is secured a wheel, P, the upper side of which runs in a groove or recess in the under sideof the bed-plate A,-close by the side ofthe cutter E, the lower edge of the cutter and the upper edge of the wheel fitting slightly past each other, as shown in figs.A 2 and 4.

A narrow belt or portion of the face of the wheel P, next to the rotary cutter, -is made smooth and plain, while the remaining portion of its face is formed with teeth g, as shown in figs. 1, 2, and 4, to engage in the fabric and feed the same to the cutter E.

It is obvious that if preferred the feed-wheel may also be provided with a cutting-lip, which would act in connection with the upper cutting-wheel like a shear-blade; and also that when thus made, the upper disk may be dispensed with, the presser-foot serving to hohl `the material down upon the'feed-wheel, the blade of the latter, in that case, alone performing the cutting. I prefer, however, to use the upper cutting-wheel, because it, being made to revolve Aso much more rapidly than the feed-wheel, will have more ofa drawing or shoving action in cutting. When the parts are thus arranged, and the drivingpulley G set in motion, the rotary cutter E will be set in motion in the direction indicated by the arrow,-

while the wheel I? will beturned at a much slower' speed in the opposite direction, the wheel and the cutter thus revolving toward each other.

If, now, a sheet of any soft or pliable material is introduced under the presser-foot, the teeth of wheel P will engage with it and feed it against the lower edge of the rotary cutter, between said cutter and the plain portion of wheel P, and the cutter revolving closely past the wheel will operate with a shearing action on the fabric, and siitor cut through the same as it is fed forward.

The shaft N is so mounted as to have a slight longitudinal play, and has a spring, fi, so applied to it as to keep it drawn hack, and thereby-the wheel P in close contact with the side of the cutter E, so that it will out smooth and clean.

It is obvious that the spring may be applied to the shaft D, and arranged to keep the cuttingdisk and feed-wheel in clos'e Contact, the result being the same.

rIhe edge of the rotary cutter is beveled off on the side furthest from the wheel P, so that as it wears away against said wheel the cutting-edge is sharpened, and thus the cutter made, in a measure, selfsharpening.

rIhe machine thus constructed and arranged wiil slit or cut paper, cloth, leather, and like materialswith very great rapidity, and will be found of great use in cutting cloth into carpet-strips, leather into shoe-strings or strings for horse-nets, and for similar purposes.

It' desired a number of pairs of cutters and wheels may be used .in the same machine, so as to cut a number of strips at once; and when so used the cutters' and wheels may be made adjustable laterally7 so as to vary lthe width of the strips produced.

In manufacturing my machines I propose to make them of such size and form that they may be used on an ordinary sewing-machine stand in place` of the sewing-machine, so as to be driven by the treadle of the latter, or by power if desired.

I am aware that rotary cutters have heretofore been used, singly and in pairs, for cutting paper and cloth, but in all such cases the cutters or the cutterand feed-wheels have been arranged to revolve at a uniform velocity, and I do not claim such thus fully described my invention,

What I claim is- A machine for cutting,r cloth and similar material, having the rotary cutter E and the feeding-wheel P constructed and larranged substantially as described, whereby the cutter is caused to revolve at a greater velocity than the cloth is fed along, thus imparting to it a draw-cut, as set forth.

WILLIAM RAEUOHLE.

; but having Witnesses:

CHARLES ScnA'rz, HENRY OPPER. 

